Hannigan defeats former Vallejo mayor in supervisors race

Published By Times Herald

In the runoff contest for the Vallejo seat on the Solano County Board of Supervisors, Vallejo City Councilwoman Erin Hannigan easily won Tuesday night.

Hannigan defeated former Vallejo mayor Tony Intintoli just before midnight after leading the balloting throughout the night.

She will succeed longtime Vallejo supervisor Barbara Kondylis who did not seek a sixth term, and had backed Intintoli.

In enticing Vallejo voters, Hannigan and Intintoli both waged spirited campaigns, pledging to best represent Vallejo, bring jobs and protect social services.

From a campaign party at the Vallejo Power Bar & Grill, Hannigan said she worked hard, and that she and her supporters walked 70 percent of the precincts and called voters twice.

"At the end of the day, it's up to the people to decide who they want to represent them. I think this validates I'm who they want," she said.

As of Tuesday night, the county had processed 67,251 vote-by-mail ballots, with 55,890 still outstanding.

Before the final unofficial results were counted, Intintoli was unwilling to concede.

"I don't know how many of the absentees were counted and I imagined many were turned in today," Intintoli said. "I'm not sure it's a victory."

Hannigan, too, expressed caution about declaring victory, but added that a commanding lead in vote-by-mail ballots usually points out the ultimate ending of the race.

Shortly after voters elected Hannigan, 48, to her second term last November, she announced her candidacy for the Board of Supervisors.

She left her position at State Farm insurance to pursue her campaign.

Her first council term was marked by the council's decision to declare bankruptcy, rebuild the budget and renegotiate employee contracts.

In her campaign, she said Intintoli did not do enough to protect city finances.

Often critical of Kondylis for not doing more for Vallejo, Hannigan pledged to represent the entire city and assure the city got a bigger slice of the funding pie.

Hannigan also pledged to focus on the state's efforts to shift prison inmates with lower offenses to county jails, improve mental health services and bring more jobs and economic opportunities to Vallejo.

She is the daughter of former Democratic Assemblyman Tom Hannigan who gave large donations to her election campaign.

A former Hogan High School teacher, Intintoli served 24 years on the City Council, including 16 as mayor and the time when the Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed.

Since leaving office Intintoli continued to serve on the Children's Network board and as Vallejo's representative on the Water Emergency Transportation Authority overseeing Bay Area ferry service.